10 fabulously ridiculous cars from the Geneva Motor Show

For mind-boggling, exclusive and one-off supercar candy, Geneva is the Holy Grail

GENEVA – New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and even Toronto, all put on some great auto shows. But it’s here in Geneva where the most powerful, most exotic and some of the most truly inspiring automobiles to grace our planet are seen for the first time.

For mind-boggling, mouth-watering supercar candy, Geneva is the Holy Grail — demonstrating how much art, science and engineering can be crafted into the automobile. Where 500 horsepower was once considered a big deal, many of the cars here today are pushing well past 1,000. Welcome to the new world.

Koenigsegg Regera

The Koenigsegg Regera hybrid supercar stands on display on the first day of the 87th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland.Luke Macgregor

Take the Koenigsegg Regera, for example. This is a 1,500 horsepower car — 1,500 horsepower! — that is as beautiful as it is powerful. That’s almost more power than Canada’s entire Naval fleet. A 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with three electric motors allows the Regera to achieve 400 km/h faster than it takes to make a latte — under 20 seconds. Only 80 samples of the Regera will be built, at more than $2 million each.

Zenvo TS1 GT

Zenvo TS1 GT

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Zenvo TS1 GT

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Zenvo TS1 GT

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Zenvo TS1 GT

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Another car with more than 1,000 horsepower is the Zenvo TS1 GT, a hypercar that marks the firm’s 10th anniversary. More importantly, it makes the run from rest to 100 km/h in under 2.8 seconds thanks to a 5.8L V8 with two superchargers that produce 1,163 net horsepower. The noise inside will be insanely loud, though, with the engine mounted behind the two seats of the carbon-bodied, rear-wheel-drive car that will also cost close to $2 million.

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Equally impressive is the Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo. The all-carbon-fibre car was F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi’s dream for a supercar, carried out by Italian design house Pininfarina. While it only boasts 600 horsepower from its 4.8-litre V8, the limited production car of 25 units comes with driving lessons from Fittipaldi himself, a two-time Formula One champion and two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, who will instruct owners on how to drive the car. For the rest of us, the car will also be featured – as the name suggests – in Sony’s Gran Turismo video game series.

Pininfarina H600 Hybrid Kinetic

Pininfarina H600 Hybrid Kinetic

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Pininfarina H600 Hybrid Kinetic

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Pininfarina H600 Hybrid Kinetic

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Pininfarina H600 Hybrid Kinetic

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Pininfarina also played a hand in developing the H600 Hybrid Kinetic. A concept sporting more than 800 horsepower, the H600 uses turbine and hybrid technology along with a small traditional engine to exceed 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds from rest. With traces of Maserati, the car carries unique styling and a “lounge like” interior. Hybrid Kinetic was founded by the former chairman of Chinese automaker Brilliance and partnered with Pininfarina to build the car.

Techrules REN

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Techrules REN

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Also using turbine technology is the Techrules REN. With a weight of only 1,700 kilograms thanks to a carbon fibre structure, the Ren can run, hitting 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds while boasting a better power-to-weight ratio than the Bugatti Chiron. A total of six motors produce a staggering 1,725 lb.-ft. of torque and only 10 cars — at a cost of $3.6 million each— will be built. Techrules sees the Ren as a halo car that will help in developing more earthly cars such as SUVs and family sedans.

Italdesign Automobili Speciali Zero One

Italdesign Automobili Speciali Zero OneDerek McNaughton /
Driving

Volkswagen Group’s Italdesign Automobili Speciali wowed Geneva with its Zero One, only five of which will be built. The Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracán provided the basis for the car, which employs a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 that requires 3.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill. With a resemblance to the Lamborghini Veneno, which shares the same designer, the car is covered in fins, vents and spoilers to keep the car cool and planted to the road at speed.

Renault Trezor

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

Renault Trezor

Derek McNaughton, Derek McNaughton

First seen at last year’s Paris Auto Show, the Renault Trezor is nonetheless a shocking display of imaginative sheetmetal. While the Trezor will likely never be built, it certainly fuels the Renault brand about what it possible when designing a car. Besides, styling cues can always be borrowed from halo cars and concepts for street cars. The clamshell roof would likely never pass regulatory hurdles, but it’s about as futuristic as you can get. The Trezor is said to be relatively quick despite only 349 horsepower, thanks in part to its light weight.

Spyker C8 Preliator Spyder

Spyker C8 Preliator

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Spyker C8 Preliator

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Spyker C8 Preliator

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Spyker C8 Preliator

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Spyker C8 Preliator

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Spyker is no stranger to the Geneva Motor Show, but its C8 Preliator Spyder drew crowd with its stunning interior and word that it now has a Koenigsegg-built V8 with 600 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque. Priced from about $500,000, the open top car will be built at Spyker’s Coventry, England, assembly plant to the tune of about 100 per year.

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003S

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) revealed its first road car, the SCG003S, at Geneva. The hand-built car, by manufacturer Manifattura Automobili Torino, uses a carbon fiber chassis and a 4.4L twin-turbo engine that develops in excess of 800 horsepower. If the SCG003S looks like a race car, that’s because it evolved from one. MAT, which designed and built the car, competes in endurance races, including the Nürburgring 24 Hours. SCG is a New York-based company founded to develop and race cars. The S in SCG003S stands for “Stradale,” whereas the “C” denotes “Competizione,” in homage to the legendary Italian road racers of the 1960s, which were equally at home on the track as the road.

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

Vanda Electrics Dendrobium

Derek McNaughton, Driving

The Dendrobium, an all-electric hypercar from Singapore’s Vanda Electrics, is meant to mimic aspects of the natural world — its headlamps, for instance, are supposed to resemble waterfalls. Regardless, with some help from Williams Advanced Engineering, the same division that helped build the Jaguar C-X75, the Dendrobium has a target speed of about 2.7 seconds from rest to 100 km/h with an AWD setup. About a dozen cars are planned, with a starting price of close to $2 million Canadian.